


The Great Kwami Caper

by SunflowerFangirl



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Action/Adventure, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff, Identity Reveal, Romance, miraculous season 3 spolers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-08
Updated: 2020-07-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:27:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 10,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23546125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunflowerFangirl/pseuds/SunflowerFangirl
Summary: When the kwamis go missing, our heroes will have to work together to save them. (Sorry, I'm really bad at summaries.)
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 30
Kudos: 72





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> All characters belong to Thomas Astruc

Marinette climbed the ladder to her bedroom, sighing. 

"Hey, guys, I'm back," she calls. "I brought dinner!" She had gotten used to the Kwamis living with her. They were easy to hide and didn't make too much noise, but they had very large appetites for such small creatures. 

She placed the plate of food on the floor before sitting down at her desk, suddenly realizing that none of the kwamis had come to greet her. 

"Tikki!" She calls. Maybe they were all asleep in the Miracle Box. She went over to Tikki's bed, there was no sign of the red creature. 

"Guys, this isn't funny," she whisper-shouts. "I'm going to be late for patrol!" 

She ducked her head under her desk, picking up the red box she had stored in a secret compartment under her desk. The box was around the oval-like shape, and was red with black spots, much like those on her suit. 

"Tikki, Wayzz, Pollen?" she asks desperately, slipping on the turtle miraculous in hopes that it would summon Master Fu's old kwami. 

Nothing happened. 

Desperately, she put on all of the Miraculous jewels. Normally, possessing so much power would drive someone to insanity, but without the swamis, the Miraculous were just glorified costume jewelry. 

She checked the clock on her computer. She had twenty minutes until she needed to meet Chat at the Eiffel Tower. 

Thinking fast, the bluenett grabbed the fake ladybug mask her parents had given her for heroes day, slipping it into the pocket of her red hoodie. 

"Alya left her phone here earlier," she calls to her parents. "I'm going to bring it to her, I'll be back soon!" 

"Okay, sweetie, be safe," her mom calls after her as she steps onto the dark Paris streets. 

\---------- Manwhile at the Agreste Mansion ---------- 

"Plagg, this isn't funny!" Adrien shouts. "We need to meet Ladybug in fifteen minutes!" 

He threw the pillows off his bed in hopes that the kwami was simply hiding, but there was no sign of the black kwami anywhere. 

"Plagg, claws out!" he calls desperately. 

Nothing happens. 

"Ladybug's gonna kill me for losing my Kwami," He mumbles to himself. 

Quickly, he grabs the Chat Noir mask leftover from the music video and shoved it into the pocket of his only black hoodie. 

Adrien peaked his head out the door. Nathalie and his bodyguard were nowhere in sight, probably already in their rooms for the night. Just in case, he scrawled a note, telling them that Nino needed him for something ASAP. 

He made his way out the front gate without a problem, breaking into a sprint as soon as he was sure he was out of the security camera's range. He didn't know what happened to his Kwami, but he knew one thing for sure, he was going to be terribly late. 


	2. Chapter 2

The streets of Paris were empty, save for the two figures making their way towards the Eiffel tower. Adrien broke into a spring at the sight of his partner waiting for him. He pulled his mask over his face as he ran.

As he approached, he noticed something was off. "I see I'm not the only one having kwami troubles," he observes.

"It's worse than you think," the bluenette tells him. "It's not just our kwamis that are gone, it's all of them."

"You mean Wayzz and them are gone, too?" he asks, a worried frown on his face.

She nods. "The book said that o one has ever been able to hold a kwami captive, much less a whole box of them!"

"Calm down, Bugaboo. We'll figure it out," He says taking a set next to her. "Just like we always do."

"But what happens if Hawkmoth attacks while they're gone? Then we won't be able to stop him from destroying Paris!" She's crying now, hot tears stream down her face as sobs shake her body. "This is all my fault! I should have never left them alone for so long! Master Fu was wrong to trust me, I'll never be a good guardian!"

"Hold up there, Bugaboo. I get that you're upset. I miss Plagg as much as you miss Tikki, but you can't blame yourself." He grasps her shoulders, forcing her to look him in the eyes. "Master Fu trusted you for a reason. He knew that you could protect the Kwamis and all of Paris. So whatever you do, you can't blame yourself. Now, what we need to do is make a plan. We can't rescue the kwamis if we just sit around and feel sorry for ourselves. They're counting on us."

"You're right, What," she says, wiping her eyes. Her mask is now damp with salty tears. "We need to start brainstorming. So, what do we know?"

"Our kwamis are missing and we have no idea about where they could have gone."

"Not true, who do we know that is always trying to get miraculous?"

"But Hawkmoth needs the Jewelry and the kwamis to make his wish," Chat reasons.

"True, but it could be a plot to get our miraculous. We know that Hawkmoth has a kwami of his own, which would give him the resources to test whatever device he is using to hold them captive."

"So, you're saying that we need to find Hawkmoth?" Chat asks.

"Yes, but we can't keep roaming around the streets with these fake costumes. It's impractical, and someone would get suspicious. It would be easier to investigate as our civilian selves," she says thoughtfully.

"M'lady, you're not saying what I think you're saying," he asks. "Are you?"

She nods solemnly. "Chat Noir, it's time to reveal our identities.


	3. Chapter 3

"Are you sure, M'lady?' Chat asks. "Master Fu warned us not to reveal our identities." 

"I know, " Ladybug nods. "But he trusted me to make the right decisions. And right now, it's the only way to save our Kwamis in time." 

"I trust you," he tells her. "I know you wouldn't do this unless it was our only option." 

"Thank you, Chat," she smiles. "I just want you to know, no matter what you find out when we take these off, you were the best partner I could have asked for. But be warned, I'm not as glamourous underneath the mask as I am as Ladybug." 

"I've told you before, I love you. With or without the mask. You can reject me time and time again, but my heart will always belong to you, M'lady." 

She doesn't have a response, so she says, "On the count of three?" 

He nods. "One," she whispers." 

"Two," he follows. 

"Three," they say together, ripping the masks from their faces. 

"Marinette?" The blond asks. 

"Adrien?" She asks. "What are the odds?" 

"Is that a problem?" he asks nervously. 

"No, you're great! I mean - this is great!" She stutters. 

"I'm still confused," Adrien says. 

"Oh gosh, this is embarrassing," she sighs. "I've had a crush on you for the longest time, Adrien. That's why I kept rejecting Chat Noir." 

"Wait," Adrien says, still processing this new information. "You're saying... you really do like me?" Tears of happiness brimmed in his eyes. 

"I love you, Adrien. I always have. You're so kind, and selfless. And I couldn't be happier to have you as my partner." She can't tell what drives her to say this. Maybe she's still in shock, maybe it's that she's been waiting to say it for years. But she knew that every word was true. 

"So um..." Adrien asks. "Does that mean you'd like to... be my girlfriend?" 

"Yes kitty, I would love too," she grins. 

"And do I get to call you Bugaboo now?" 

She places a finger on her chin thoughtfully. "Maybe if you're a good Kitty and give me a kiss." 

"You don't have to ask twice," he smiles, pulling her to him before bringing his lips to meet hers. It felt as though a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. It had hurt him every day to not know who she was. But he had decided that all of his waiting was worth it. 

Once they pull away, she speaks. "So, how are we going to tell Alya and Nino tomorrow?" 

"They're going to freak," he grins. "So, should I pick you up in the morning?" 

"I'll see you then," she smiles, giving him a quick peck on the lips before they went their separate ways. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yayyyyy! We finally have the reveal! I hope you all enjoyed. Comments and Kudos are always welcome, and everyone please stay safe and healthy!


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning, Adrien woke up early, excited to see his Lady at school. 

"You're up early, Adrien," Natalie notes as he steps out of his room. "Is there something going on today that I forgot to add to your calendar?" 

"I was going to ask if I could walk to school," he says, deciding it was best to get straight to the point. "It's for a school assignment. Our teacher wants us to do something nice for one of our classmates. Marinette usually walks to school with Alya, but she's busy, so I figured I should accompany her instead." He had gotten good at lying since he'd become Chat Noir, and this was one of the times it had come in handy. 

"That is very thoughtful of you, Adrien, but I'm not certain your father will approve of this," she says sympathetically. 

"That's okay, Natalie. It was worth a shot," he sighs, doing his best to sound disappointed. 

"Just because I don't think he'll approve doesn't mean I won't ask him," she says, dropping her professional mask for a moment to give him a wink. 

"Oh, thank you, Natalie," he gushes, hiving her a hug. "I promise I'll be careful." 

"I haven't even asked yet," she smiles at his enthusiasm. "Now, go eat breakfast, I'll let you know as soon as I hear a response." 

"Yes Natalie," he says excitedly. 

Normally, eating breakfast by himself made Adrien think of his mother. How she had always make sure that they spent their mealtimes together, even if that meant them bringing their plates up to his father's office so he could work as he ate. She would even call when they were on business trips so that he would feel less alone. It made him miss her even more. But today all he could think about were the events of the previous night. Marinette's soft lips on his. The way she felt in his arms. It made all of the waiting he had done completely worth it. 

As he finished up, Natalie stepped into the room. "Your father said he will allow you to accompany Marinette as long as your bodyguard drives you to the Dupan-Cheng bakery." Her voice had switched back to its usual monotone. 

"Thank you, Natalie!" he says excitedly. "I'll be ready in ten minutes." 

"I'll tell your bodyguard to be ready," she informs him. Adrien was already out the door. 

After grabbing his backpack, the model made his way towards the car. "To the Dupan-Chang bakery, please," he informs the driver politely. 

When the limo pulls up in front of the bakery, Adrien steps out the door. "You can pick me up here after school, I'll be eating lunch with a friend today." His bodyguard attempts to protest but eventually decides against it. 

Adrien waved as the limo pulled away, waiting until it turned the corner before heading inside. 

The smell of freshly baked pastries filled his senses. _I could get used to this_ he thinks to himself. "Hello Adrien," a voice came from behind the counter. He looks up to see Mrs. Dupan-Chang grinning at him. "Marinette told me you'd be stopping by. She is upstairs. Go ahead and make yourself at home." 

"Thank you, Mrs. Dupan-Chang," he smiles politely before climbing the stairs to the apartment. 

He knocks on the door, not wanting to disturb her if she was still asleep. 

"Come in," Marinette calls from inside. 

"M'lady," he bows after crossing the threshold into her apartment. It took everything he had not to barge in, wrap her in his arms, and kiss her like they had last night. 

"Good to see you too, kitty," she smiles. "Are you hungry? I made cookies." 

"This early in the morning?" He asks. "You really are magical." 

"Force of habit," she shrugs. "I always keep cookies in my pocket for Tikki, I figured I should have some on hand in case we find them." 

"Good idea," he says thoughtfully. "Do you happen to have any cheese?" 

"Sure, what kind?" 

"The smellier the better," he tells her. "Besides, our classmates might start wondering if I come to class not smelling like cheese." 

She laughs. "I'm sure Plagg admires your dedication." 

He sighs. "As annoying as he could be, I really miss the little guy." 

"Don't worry, we'll find them," she assures him. "Do you have any idea where we could start looking?" 

"Not really," he sighs, defeated. "Hawkmoth almost never leaves his lair, and the few times he has, there hasn't been any pattern to it. Who knows? He could be right under our noses." 

"I know," she says thoughtfully. "We just have to keep an eye out and make sure he doesn't akumatize anyone in the meantime." 

"Sounds like a plan," he nods. "Now, should we be on our way?" 

"Lead the way," she smiles, following him down the stairs and onto the busy Paris streets. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They are now officially a couple! Sorry for such a late update. I hope you enjoyed. Comments and Kudos are greatly Appreciated! Everyone stay safe and healthy.


	5. Chapter 5

The pair arrived at school hand-in-hand, arousing whispers from their fellow classmates 

Not long after they arrived, they were met by Alya and Nino, both looking to be a mixture of shocked, excited, and relieved. 

"Girl," the brunette asks excitedly, "When did this happen?" 

"Um..." Marinette stutters, "Well, we ran into each other yesterday, and it just kind of slipped out." 

"Congrats, dude," Nino smiles, patting Adrien on the back as his girlfriend continued to grill Marinette for details. 

"Thanks Nino," he smiles. "I can't believe I was so oblivious. It was kind of obvious now that I think about it. Why didn't any of you guys tell me?" 

"Some things are better when you find them for yourself," Nino says, smiling fondly at his girlfriend. "But seriously, Alya and I were about to tell you ourselves if you two didn't figure it out soon." 

"Yeah, I was pretty stupid," Adrien laughs. 

"Come on boys," Alya calls. "We don't want to be late for class." 

They all make their way to their classroom, taking their usual seats. 

"So, you guys want to have lunch at my house today?" Marinette asks once they're seated. 

"Sorry, girl, Nino and I already made plans," Alya says regretfully. "Maybe some other time." 

"I'd love to," Adrien smiles. 

"You two have fun," Alya winks before Miss Bustier walks in and the entire class quiets. 

Morning classes passed by in a blur, and before either of them knew it, Marinette and Adrien were back at the Dupan-Cheng bakery. 

"Oh, hello Adrien," Sabine smiles cheerfully when they step inside. "We just got a large order, so we won't be joining you two for lunch. I hope you don't mind." 

"No problem, Mrs. Dupan-Cheng. I understand. I'd love to help you guys out sometime." 

"Oh, that would be wonderful!" she exclaims. "If it's okay with your father, you can come over this weekend." 

"I'll ask him tonight," Adrien gives her a smile before following Marinette upstairs. 

"I heard we'll have a kitty helping in the bakery this weekend," Marinette smiles. 

"It's better than staying in my room all day," he shrugs. "Besides, I'll do anything to spend more time with you, Bugaboo." 

"This morning made me think you'd dropped that silly nickname," she teases. "But no such luck." 

"You might as well get used to it," he says, leaning down to peck her on the lips. 

She sighs. "Well, what would you like to eat?" We have croissant sandwiches in the fridge or the quiche leftover from last night." 

"Sandwiches sound good," he says. "Hey, did you notice anything different after the kwamis disappeared? I've checked my room, but maybe there'll be a clue as to where they are." 

"I haven't noticed anything, but you're welcome to check after lunch," she says, grabbing their lunch and setting them down on the dining room table. 

Once they'd sat down, Adrien takes a bit. "This is so much better than my normal lunch," he groans happily. 

"Don't you have, like, a personal chef?" Marinette asks. 

"Yeah, but he specializes in celebrity diets and fitness, stiff like that," he explains. "I swear the man is addicted to kale." 

Marinette laughs. "We, you're welcome to eat here anytime," she takes his hand. "But seriously, if you need anything, a safe place, or even just a kale-free meal, you're always welcome here." 

"You're the best, bugaboo," he sighs dreamily. 

"Anything for you, kitty," she smiles before changing the subject. "Did you notice anything weird when Plagg disappeared?" 

"It's kinda weird, but it's like I can still feel his presence sometimes," Adrien tells her. "I mean, it's not like he's right there, but it's like we're not far apart." 

"I can feel Tikki occasionally," Marinette says thoughtfully. "But I'm not sure how it'll be much help." 

"Can I see if there's anything suspicious in your room?" He asks. Maybe they're sending messages to our rooms in hopes that we'll see them, I feel like my connection has been stronger there than anywhere else." 

"Sure," she says. "Follow me."

The climb the staircase to her room. Adrien had been here once before when they played Ultimate Mecha Strike III, but it was a bit different. 

"This is new," he notes, pointing to the black file cabinet Marinette had placed next to her desk. 

"Yup," she says, pulling out the bottom drawer to reveal the new miraculous box. "I convinced my parents that I needed a place to keep all of my designs organized. I needed to hide this thing somehow." 

"May I?" he asks, reaching for the box. 

"Sure," she shrugs. "Without the kwamis, the miraculous is basically glorified costume jewelry." 

He looked over to see her staring longingly on the ladybug miraculous compartment. "Don't worry, we'll get them back," he takes her hand gently in his. "You and me against the world, M'lady." 

"Just like always," she smiles, giving his hand a comforting squeeze. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed! Comments and kudos are always greatly appreciated! Everyone stay safe and healthy!


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning, Marinette woke earlier than normal. Since there hadn't been any Akuma attacks in over a week, she was finally getting enough sleep.

Alya was already in the bakery when she made her way downstairs.

"You're up early, girl," Alya comments. "Any special occasion?"

"I finally got a good night's sleep, I guess," she shrugs.

"I'll say. No more spending your nights plotting ways to talk to Adrien," Alya laughs. "I can't believe I wasn't there when it happened!"

"Yeah," Marinette says. "I guess it just felt like the right time, so I went for it."

"I'm proud of you," Alya smiles. 

"Thanks, Alya," she smiles.

They arrive at school early. The boys were already there, chatting casually on the steps.

"Hey, dudes," Nino waves when he sees them approach.

"Hi," Marinette replies, looking only at Adrien, who was smiling happily at her. Though she'd known his secret identity for a day now, and they'd discussed it multiple times, Marinette still couldn't believe how lucky she was that the two boys she loved were one and the same.

They had a substitute teacher today, so their morning classes passed in a flurry of reading assignments and boring worksheets. There was an audible sigh of relief when the lunch bell finally rang.

The foursome sat at their usual lunch table. The courtyard was emptier than normal today, Marinette hoped that meant a lesser chance of Akumitizations. It was odd how often people had their feelings hurt during lunch.

After school, Adrien asked hos bodyguard if he could go to Marinette's for a while. After begging and promising a large box of pastries in return, the man finally agreed.

Soon after, they were sitting on the couch in the Dupan-Cheng apartment, munching on 'defective' pastries. They may not have looked great, but they were the best thing Adrien had ever tasted.

Adrien gazed at his girlfriend fondly, noticing a hint of unease in her expression. "Is everything okay?' He asks, shifting so he could face her.

"It's just so weird, you know?" she says. "We got so used to having our kwamis around. I would talk to Tikki for hours about my plans to talk to you. She would always tell me to just be myself. And now she's not here to see that she was right."

"I used to talk to Plagg about the same thing," the blond chuckled. "However, his answers related more to cheese than relationship advice." He paused, a look of realization crossing his face.

"Are you okay?" Marinette asks.

"You remember when you said you could still feel Tikki's presence at times?" Adrien asks.

"Yes..." she says hesitantly.

"What if the connection gets stronger when we're closer to them?"

"That's an interesting theory," she agrees.

"It's like his signal is stronger in my room. I wonder if they could be close by!"

"We'll have to check it out," she says. "How about we investigate tomorrow after we help my parents in the bakery?"

"Sounds like a plan," he says.

"Just promise me you won't go doing anything reckless until then," she says, taking his had.

"Okay," he agrees before they fall into a comfortable silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, almost halfway done already. How the time flies! I hope you all enjoyed! Comments and Kudos are greatly appreciated. Everyone stay safe and healthy!


	7. Chapter 7

That night, Adrien couldn't stop thinking about his realization. He could still feel Plagg's presence, like a second heartbeat from far away. At first, he'd thought it was just a part of their bond, and as long as he wore the ring, it didn't go away, but when Marinette noted that her connection wavered, it made him wonder.

He lay in bed. Sleep seemed to taunt him like it was just out of his reach. Eventually, he crawled out of bed and began to pace. Something seemed to be pulling him. He could feel his bond with Plagg growing stronger when he reached the window, and farther away as he walked towards his desk.

Eventually, his curiosity got the better of him. He reached for his door handle, hesitating or a second before stepping into the hallway.

The hallway was eerily quiet. He crept past Nathalie's room, thankful that she enjoyed watching her mystery shows at full volume at night.

He suddenly remembered his promise to Marinette. He debated going back to his room and waiting until the next day, but he realized that he may never have this good of a chance of sneaking out ever again.

The hard part would be getting outside of the gate. Oddly enough, the tether led him towards his mother's garden. I noticed a slight break in the hedges, just large enough for him to squeeze through.

The bond seemed to be guiding him underground. He glanced around before sliding into one of the sewer gates.

It was hard to tell where in the city he was. Despite having his fair share of sewer time as Chat Noir, he could never quite figure out where the tunnels led. All he could do was hope Plagg was leading him in the right direction.

After wandering for what seemed like forever, Adrien stopped at a door. Plagg's signal was as strong as ever. This had to be where Hawkmoth was keeping them.

He pressed his ear to the door, listening carefully. He couldn't hear any footsteps, but he swore he could make out the faint sound of conversation on the other side.

He tested the door handle, it was unlocked. Apparently, Hawkmoth wasn't as clever as he appeared.

The room seemed to be unoccupied at first. There was nothing but a stack of supplies on one side, with a box draped with a blanket on the other

"Is anyone in there," Adrien whispers, reaching for the blanket.

"Kid, is that you?" came a familiar voice from inside.

"Plagg!" Adrien whisper-shouts, tearing the blanket from the box to reveal all of the kwamis. At first glance, the cage appeared normal, but he noticed a purple glow coming from the lock.

"Kid, you need to get out of here!" Plagg insists. "Hawkmoth could be here any minute."

"I'm not leaving without you," Adrien retorts. "Tell me how to get this cage open."

"You'll have to use your miraculous," Plagg tells him. "That's what Hawkmoth does."

"Wait... that means you know who Hawkmoth is!" Adrien reasons. "Who is he?"

"You know I can't tell you that, kid," Plagg looks down sadly. "And honestly, it's probably better that I don't."

"Fine," Adrien groans. "But I'll find out eventually." He places the tip of his ring to the padlock. The door flies open and the kwami flies into his hand.

"I missed you, kid," Plagg says, taking a moment to nuzzle his owner's palm. "Now transform! Hawkmoth can't know who you are."

"Here," Adrien says, handing the Kwami the cheese that he'd been holding for days. After the Kwami was finished, he transformed, feeling the rush of comfort and freedom that he had missed so much.

"Come on," he tells the rest of the Kwamis. "Let's get you back to Ladybug."

"Not so fast," said a voice from the other side of the room. Adrien turned to see Hawkmoth standing behind him with a smug look on his face. "Ah, Chat Noir, so nice to officially meet you. I hope you find these accommodations comfortable. You're going to be here for a while."

"Tikki, go find Ladybug!" Adrien shouts. Without hesitation, the red kwami phases through the vent. The rest of the kwamis move to follow, but they are stopped when Hawkmoth abruptly slams the cage door.

"Silly Kitty," Hawkmoth sneers. "Thank you for bringing me your miraculous. And now you're leading Ladybug right to me? This day could not get any better."

"I'll never give you my miraculous!" Chat yells. "You'll have to pry it from my dead body!"

"As fun as that sounds," Hawkmoth contemplates, "I'd much rather you and your sweetheart both be here when you meet your doom." He moves to leave before turning around again. "Oh, and don't worry, I won't try and discover your identity. It is of no use to me. Feel free to get as comfortable as you can. Oh, and don't try to open that door, that cage isn't the only project I've been hard at work on."

He leaves and Adrien sinks to the floor. He'd been locked in his own room too many times to count, but never had he ever felt so completely and utterly helpless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yup. Adrien didn't listen to his girlfriend. As always, I hope y'all enjoyed. Comments and kudos are always appreciated. Everyone stay safe and healthy!


	8. Chapter 8

"Marinette! Marinette! Wake up!" a high-pitched voice called.

"Five more minutes," the bluenette mumbles, yanking the covers over her head.

"Marinette, it's me, Tikki!" The kwami exclaims. "Chat Noir is in trouble!"

"Tikki?" Marinette asks, suddenly wide awake. "Wha- How did you get here? And what did you say about Adrien being in trouble?"

"He found us! He was able to free me before Hawkmoth captured him. Wait - did you say, Adrien?"

"Yes, we revealed our identities so that we'd have an easier time searching for you," Marinette quickly explains. "Now, where is Hawkmoth keeping them? We need to free everyone before something terrible happens."

"You can't rush into this, Marinette," Tikki protests. "You need a plan. Otherwise, you're no better off than Adrien."

"I still can't believe he went without me," Marinette sighs. "You're right, Tikki, we need a plan." she cups the small creature in her palm. "It's good to have you back. I was going crazy without you."

"I missed you, too, Marinette," Tikki replies. "It's good to be back.

"Will you tell me where Adrien is, now?" Marinette asks, anxiously.

"We need to make a plan first. If I tell you now, you'll be too antsy to think straight."

"But - "

"I know you're nervous, I am too," Tikki demands. "But we can't rush into this. Hawkmoth will be expecting you. You'll need to be careful."

"I know, Tikki," Marinette sighs. "I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to apologize for," Tikki says soothingly. "But we need to stop wasting time and start making a plan."

They sat thoughtfully for a couple of minutes before the bluenette stood and began to pace her room. She glanced at the clock on her desk. It was barely 1 am.

Desperate, she tried calling Adrien, there was no answer. He must have left his phone at home."

"Maybe he's transformed," Marinette reasons, turning towards her kwami. "Tikki, was he transformed when you left?"

"Yes, but I wouldn't try to contact him," The kwami advises. "Hawkmoth could have stolen his baton. You'll have to be patient. I'm trying to think!"

After a few more minutes of floating around the room, Tikki spoke. "You'll have to tell your parents that you're going out. We don't want them waking up and seeing you've disappeared, it would raise too much suspicion. But as soon as they're awake, you can leave. If we're lucky, and follow my plan, we could have Hawkmoth unmasked and behind bars by the end of the day."

Tikki began to explain her plan. It would be risky, but Marinette thought it just might work. By the time they'd come up with the perfect cover story, Marinette heard her parents begin to stir. After waiting a bit to avoid seeming too anxious, she made her way downstairs, faking a yawn.

"You're up early, sweetie," Sabine notes. "Are you excited for Adrien to come over this morning?"

"Oh, I forgot to tell you," she says, faking a disappointed look. "His father needed him for a last-minute photo shoot. He said he'd try again next weekend, though." She gave herself a mental pat on the back. Her acting skills had greatly improved since becoming Ladybug. Hopefully, she wouldn't have to use her newly acquired powers for much longer.

"That's too bad," Sabine frowns. "Well, he's a busy boy. Will you still be joining us today?"

"I'm sorry, mama, I can't, Alya just texted that she needs me to help her research for her new blog post this week."

"No problem at all, sweetheart. Alya is lucky to have a friend like you."

"Thank you, mama," Marinette smiles, giving her a hug before heading back upstairs to get dressed. She made sure to pack extra cookies in case Tikki needed to refuel later. She decided to sneak in a piece of Camembert for Plagg as well, just in case.

Tikki guided them to the sewers, where they followed the unfamiliar maze until they reached the correct door.

"Okay, Tikki, Spots on!" Marinette whispers, feeling the familiar rush of magic that she had missed so much."

Without hesitating, she opened the door.

"M'lady, watch out!" Chat says, jumping to his feet. A siren blared above them. "We need to get out of here!"

"You free the Kwamis," she orders. 'I'll stand watch."

"Ah, Ladybug," Hawkmoth's voice comes from a hidden speaker. "So nice of you to join us." The door slammed shut behind them.

Ladybug rammed her shoulder into the door, but it didn't budge. An evil laugh came from the speakers above. "You two really are pathetic. While you're trapped in here, my most powerful Akuma is rounding up all Parisians. They will all be forced to watch the fall of their beloved heroes!" His cackle filled the room. Ladybug sunk to the ground. For the first time ever, she felt completely and utterly hopeless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooooo.... yup. Things are looking pretty dark for our heroes right now. Don't worry, there's plenty of time to sort everything out! Next week's chapter will be the longest one yet, so look forward to that! As always, comments and kudos are greatly appreciated. I love hearing from all of you! Everyone stay safe and healthy!


	9. Chapter 9

Chat rammed his shoulder into the door for the millionth time. "Can't you try using your Cataclysm? Marinette asks.

"That was the first thing I tried," he sighs. "It didn't work.

"I might have an idea," she says thoughtfully. "Lucky charm!"

A guitar pick fell into her hand.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Adrien asks. "I didn't know your YoYo was rooting for Luka instead of me."

"No one could replace you, Kitty," she says, pecking him on the cheek before surveying the room.

"There," she says, pointing to an air vent in the corner. "I can use this to unscrew the grate."

"And they called action movies unrealistic," Chat smiles. "Great job, M'lady. You get to work on the grate, I'll free the Kwamis."

Two minutes later, they were crawling through the vents. "There's another room up ahead," Ladybug points. "We can exit through there.

After sliding into the small storage room, they detransformed. "Eat up," Marinette instructs. "We don't know when we'll get this chance again."

As the Kwamis gobbled down their snacks, Marinette pulled Adrien aside to strategize.

"We need to use all of the powers at our disposal," Marinette says. "Can you combine the Chat and Snake Miraculous again?"

"Of course," Adrien replies. "We need every second chance we can get."

"I'll need to go get them from my room," She says. "We're close by, so I can be back in ten minutes."

She raced through the sewers until she found the Park exit. She snuck out quickly, glad that everyone else was too panicked to see her.

When she reached the bakers, she found that he was deserted. She didn't want to think about what could be happening to her parents right now. She pushed her worries to the back of her head before rushing to her bedroom.

She snatched up the snake miraculously and, after a bit of thought, grabbed the turtle miraculous as well.

Adrien paced the length of the storage closet, the kwamis watching him nervously. They froze at the sound of footsteps outside the door. Adrien breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that it was Marinette.

"Wayzz, Sass," she instructs. "Stay here with us. "Trixx, get everyone else back to the box. Be ready. We don't know if we'll need to call on some help."

"Yess, Master," Trixx says before leading the parade of Kwamis out the door.

"Are you ready, M'lady?" Adrien asks.

"As I'll ever be," she sighs. "Wayzz, Tikki, combine!"

Once they were fully transformed, the duo took the closest exit onto the barren Paris streets.

"Have you seen the new villain?" Adrien asks as they race across the rooftops.

"No, but I can hear them," she points to the Eiffel Tower, where there was a crowd of citizens, each in their own individual cages. The cages were arranged into a stadium, surrounding their treasured monument.

"We need to help them," Marinette says. "I need to get a better look."

They peaked over the top of the next building. "Hawkmoth isn't here," Adrien notes. "He'll figure out that we escaped any minute now."

"Then we have no time to waste," she says, surveying the stadium. Standing atop the Eiffel tower was a familiar face.

"It's Lila," she says. But today, the girl had a different alias.

"I am the Revenger!" her voice booms through invisible speakers. "Ladybug and Chat Noir have been allowed to roam free for far too long. Today you will see them fall to their knees before Hawkmoth!"

"All hail Hawkmoth," The people repeated. She was controlling them somehow.

"Not so fast, Revenger," Marinette shouts.

Revenger whipped around, confused. "But- But Hawkmoth said he had you two locked up!"

"He says a lot of things," Chat says, pulling out his baton. "Like how he's going to win. We all know that's a lie."

"I have a plan." Turtlebug whispers. After she'd finished explaining, Chat nodded.

"Second chance!" He shouts before lunging towards the Eiffel tower.

Turtlebug wrapped her YoYo around Revenger, who struggled in her grasp. "Little pest," she spits. "You really are stupid."

With a snap of her fingers, the YoYo fell to the ground, freeing her.

"Now, Chat!" Turtlebug shouts.

He lunged for Lila's earring, falling to the ground as she sidestepped and fired her bracelet at Turtlebug.

"M'lady!" he shouts. "Second chance!"

In the blink of an eye, he was standing next to Turtlebug once again. "The Akuma isn't in her earring like last time, it's in her bracelet," he pants. "Don't try to use your YoYo on her, she can escape it.

"What do you suggest?" she asks.

"We have to get the Akuma quickly. You distract her, I'll try and free the butterfly."

"If you say so," she shrugs. "Hey, Revenger! Come and get me!"

Adrien crept around to the back of the Eiffel Tower. He lept up just in time to see Turtlebug get hit by Lila's beam.

"Second chance," he murmurs.

"No time," he says when he appears next to Turtlebug once again. "You distract her. I'll free the Akuma."

They rush in again. Just three minutes later, he hears the all-too-familiar sound of Revenger's beam hitting its mark.

"Second chance," he sighs.

Forty-two tries later, he collapses next to Ladybug. "I can't do it," he sobs.

"Well, what keeps going wrong?" she asks.

"You try to distract Revenger while I try to free the Akuma, but you get hit.

"Why don't you try distracting her," she suggests. "Maybe my Lucky Charm will give me something that will help."

"I'll give it a try," he says, wiping the tears from his eyes so he can get a clear look at his bracelet. "I don't have enough time on this try. I'll have to go again."

"Good luck," she says, giving him a light kiss.

"Second chance," he says.

"No time, he starts. "You need to sneak around and free the Akuma. I'll distract her."

Turtlebug nods before calling up her Luck Charm, a frying pan.

"Hey, revenger!" Chat shouts. "I bet you can't hit me!"

"Wanna bet, Kitty?" she sneers, pointing her weapon at him.

"I'm normally not a gambling person," he says, casually, dodging her first shot," But sure. If You win, Ladybug and I will hand over our Miraculous. But if I win, you will hand over Hawkmoth and Mayura's miraculous."

"That's a bet I'm willing to take," she smiles. "What's the catch?"

"You can't move from that spot," he smiles. He could see Turtlebug sneaking up behind her, her frying pan poised for attack.

"You're on," she snarls, preparing to fire.

He dodged and twisted, Avoiding her fire until he heard a shout of pain.

"Stupid Chat!" Revenger yells, her bracelet lay broken on the ground beneath her. "Stupid Ladybug! One day, Hawkmoth will win! And he'll make you sorry you ever messed with us!"

"Somehow I highly doubt that," Ladybug smiles, catching and purifying the Akuma before it could fly away. 

She was just about to summon her Miraculous ladybugs when two figures landed behind her.

"I see Lila Rosse has failed us once again," Hawkmoth frowns. "Looks like I'll have to do the dirty work myself."

Hawkmoth lunged towards Turtlebug but was stopped by Adrien's staff. "Don't you know it's rude to steal from a lady?" Chat asks.

Hawkmoth growled. Adrien turned to see Turtlebug and Mayura already engaged in battle. He could hear the soft beep of Marinette's earrings. They Ladybug Miraculous would give out in just a few minutes.

"Admit it, Chat Noir, you're done for," Hawkmoth sneers. "ladybug has already used her Lucky charm. She'll be transforming back any minute now, and then there will be nothing to keep me from taking your Miraculous for my own."

Adrien looked around at the crowd of civilians. they had been shaken from their trance, and though they were still in cages, some of them had begun to chant words of encouragement. He didn't want to think about how terrible their lives would be if Hawkmoth won. He had to keep fighting.

"You may have your Akumas, but we have to the people of Paris behind us." He tells Hawkmoth. "Even if you do get our Miraculous, they will never stop resisting you. You will lose, Hawkmoth. it's only a matter of time." He pushed the man off of him. Hawkmoth stumbled, almost falling onto the ground below.

Before he could launch a counterattack, there was a yelp of pain. They turned to see Mayura on the ground, clutching her arm. Ladybug stood over her, reaching for the peacock miraculous.

"Mayura!" Hawkmoth cried. Chat caught him with his baton.

"Give up, Hawkmoth," Ladybug says. "Give us your Miraculous and we'll let you both go in peace."

"Never," he growls, wrenching himself from Chat's grasp before sweeping Mayura into his arms and running.

Chat attempted to follow them, but Turtlebug stopped him. "We don't have the energy right now."

He collapsed under her touch. "You're right," he says. "Let's go."

Turtlebug called up her Miraculous Ladybugs, fixing the damage Revenger had caused and freeing the Parisians from their cages.

The beeping of their Miraculous became more and more frequent as they dashed through the streets and into an abandoned alleyway.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" Marinette asks, arms crossed.

"I'm sorry that I didn't listen to you," he says, hanging his head. "I didn't know I'd actually find them. My curiosity got the best of me. I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

"Just listen to me nest time," she says, frowning."

"I will," he promises. "I can't believe we were so close to catching them!"

"Believe me, kid," Plagg says. "It's best that you don't know."

Tikki shoots him a dirty look before taking a bite of her cookie.

"We'll get them next time," Marinette promises before kissing him deeply. "Right now, I'm just glad you're okay."

"Yeah," Adrien sighs. "Me too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed! Comments and Kudos are always appreciated! I hope you are all staying safe and Healthy in these troubling times!


	10. Chapter 10

Adrien stepped out of his room the next morning to see an empty hallway. Normally, Nathalie or the gorilla would have woken him up half an hour ago. Now that he thought about it, he hadn't heard from Nathalie or his father since the night he'd been captured. He'd snuck back inside through his window, so as far as they knew, he'd been in his room doing homework the whole time.

He knocked on the door to his father's office. There was the sound of hushed conversation before footsteps approached the other side of the door.

"Hello, Adrien," Gabriel says in his usual emotionless monotone voice. "Is there something that you need?"

"No, father," Adrien says. "It's just - I hadn't heard from you or Nathalie for a while. I wanted to make sure you were both okay." Adrien wondered if they were trying to hide something. Maybe Father and Nathalie had grown closer. Ever since his wife had disappeared, Gabriel had been more distant. If being with Nathalie helped to counteract that, Adrien would gladly support them.

"Nathalie has not been feeling well," Gabriel says blandly. "Though I'm sure she appreciates your concern, there isn't much you can do to help. She should be back on her feet in a few days. Now, why don't you go practice your piano?" He closes the door abruptly before Adrien has time to protest.

Adrien slammed the door to his room and let out an aggravated sigh. "He didn't even want to talk to me," he says, disappointed.

"I thought you would've been used to this by now," Plagg says, lounging in the corner of Adrien's desk.

"I know he's normally very distant, but he didn't even notice that I was gone for a day!"

"I know it's hard, kid," Plagg says, flying over to perch on the blonde's shoulder. "Maybe you should call Ladybug, I'm sure she'd be happy to talk to you."

"I just need some fresh air. Plagg claws out." He lept from the window and onto the Paris rooftops, basking in the freedom he'd missed so much.

After wandering for half an hour, he found himself near the Dupan-Cheng bakery.

"Well, Plagg did say I should talk to Marinette," he reasons before leaping onto his girlfriend's balcony.

\-----

Marinette was working on her latest sketch when she was interrupted by a thud on her balcony.

"What could that be? Wayzz asks, startled.

"I don't know," she mutters. "You guys hide. I'll get it."

She crept up her ladder, throwing open the door to see Chat Noir waiting on the other side.

"Hello, Bugaboo," the blonde says, a catlike smile plastered on his face.

"To what do I owe the pleasure, kitty?" Marinette grins

"I just wanted to see you," He says, embracing her.

"Why don't you come inside," she says, motioning to her room. "Make yourself comfortable."

He climbs down into her room before detransforming. Plagg went to chat with the other kwamis, leaving the two heroes sitting on the chaise.

"So, what's up?" She asks once they're settled,

"Can't I just want to see your beautiful face?" he asks.

"You could've called me," she reasons. "Come on, I know there's something wrong."

"It's silly," he sighs.

"Your feelings aren't silly," she says. "Come on, it'll make you feel better."

"It's just - I was gone for almost a day and father didn't even notice," he explains. "I mean, I'm used to the lack of attention with anything that isn't directly related to his business, but this is on a whole other level."

"I'm sorry," she says sympathetically. "You know I'm always here if you need to talk about it. I'm sorry it's so hard for you, you don't deserve it."

"Thanks, Marinette," he says, squeezing his girlfriend's hand.

They sat in comfortable silence for a while before Adrien spoke up again. "So how are we supposed to stop Hawkmoth now? Yesterday was our best chance yet, and we totally blew it."

"I'm honestly not sure," she says thoughtfully. "It may be best if we step back for a while. Only fight when Hawkmoth attacks and try together information. We already know Hawkmoth knows a lot more about us than we do about him. We have some catching up to do.

"Good idea, M'lady," he agrees. "You deserve a break. Being the guardian of the Miraculous can't be easy."

"It can be hard at times, but I wouldn't change a thing," she smiles, leaning into his shoulder.

Adrien stayed there until the sun began to dip below the horizon and Marinette was called down for dinner. He made his way home, grinning, before slipping into his room and falling into a content, happy sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everybody! I cna'r believe there's only three chapters left! It's been pretyy busy this week, so this chapter was a bit shorter. I've been working on this as well as trying to figure out something for pride month, so my writing time is stretched pretty thin. Thank you for reading! As always, comments and kudos are greatly appreciated. Everyone stay safe and healthy!


	11. Chapter 11

The rest of the week passed rather uneventfully. After a long week of school, the heroes took a much-needed break in the park.

"Isn't it weird that we haven't heard from Hawkmoth all week?" She asks. "I mean - Meylene had a full out panic attack in class the other day and nothing happened."

"Maybe he's waiting for the right moment to strike," Adrien reasons. "I mean - if the Akuma's strength is determined by the victim's emotions, maybe he wants to make sure their feelings are strong enough. Besides, Ivan was at her side fairly quickly after she fled class. Maybe Hawkmoth didn't have enough time to sense her pain."

"You're probably right," Marinette agrees thoughtfully. "And maybe now that Chloe and Lila are working for him, he wants them to play a bigger part. They are some of the strongest villains we've ever faced."

"They do seem to be a bit closer recently," the blonde notes. "Maybe Hawkmoth has something to do with that."

"Either way, he could still attack at any minute. And his villains are getting stronger I've looked at all of the news footage from our battles and scoured the lady blog, but I haven't picked up on anything that could help us defeat him."

"We need something unexpected," He says. "We need to make him think he has everything under control, and then we attack when he least expects it."

"I've been thinking the same thing," she agrees. "I might have an idea, but we'll have to wait for the next Akuma attack. Even though we could end this much sooner if Plagg and Tikki would just tell us who Hawkmoth is." She eyed the kwamis accusingly. The creatures just shrugged and went back to their conversation.

"What can we do in the meantime?" Adrien asks.

"I've taken notes on how we've defeated each of his villains thus far. We can try and figure out what's worked and what hasn't, it could save us in battle."

"You're genius never ceases to amaze me, M'lady," the blond says. "I'll look into it. I have to go, I told Nathalie that I was helping Nino, I don't want her to get suspicious."

"Okay, Kitty," she says, leaning in for a quick kiss. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"No early morning Kwami hunts this time," he smiles. "I'll see you tomorrow, Bugaboo."

\- - - 

Adrien arrived bright and early the following morning.

"It's good to see you again, Adrien," Tom smiles as the blonde walked into the bakery. "Thank you for coming, we really appreciate the help."

"It's no problem at all," Adrien smiles. "It's nice to get away from the cameras every once and a while. I"m so sorry about having to cancel last time, with my father, it's a rather frequent occurrence,"

"Well, you're welcome here anytime," Sabine smiles. 

"Thank you, Mrs. Dupan-Chang," he smiles.

Before they could say anything else, Marinette stepped into the bakery. "So, are we ready to start?" She asks, pulling an apron over her head before handing another one to Adrien.

"Looks like it," Tom says before pulling Adrien aside to show him how to make croissants.

Marinette and Sabine look on at the boys, smiling. "Adrien sure is a sweet boy," Sabine notes.

"Yeah, he really is," Marinette sighs dreamily.

Sabine was about to say more when Marinette's phone went off. Out of the corner of her eye, Marinette could see Adrien pulling his phone from his pocket. She clicked on the alert, which led to a live news feed. It showed two girls, both dressed in purple roaming the streets. One was armed with a whip and the other with a bow. They appeared to be destroying everything in their path.

"Come on out, ladybug," They say in unison. "Unless you want to see your city burned to the ground."

"Um... I need to go to the bathroom!" Marinette stutters "I'll be back in a second!" she could hear Adrien stuttering out his own excuse as she dashed upstairs.

"Mullo, Sass, come with me," she whispers to the kwamis. "Everyone else, protect the Miraculous at all costs. Chloe and Lila have been akumatized. I have a feeling Hawkmoth's going to try and end things today."

"You ready, M'lady?" Adrien asks.

"You know the plan," he nods. "Tikki, Spots On!"

They made their way onto the Paris rooftops. "You need to keep them distracted," Ladybug shouts. "I'll go get back up."

Chat nods before they head their separate ways.

Marinette remembered overhearing Nathaniel and Marc discussing their upcoming date to the comic book store during school the other day. She prayed that she'd heard them correctly.

She entered the comic book store, relieved to see them both huddled in the corner of the store. Everyone else had seemingly fled when Chloe and Lila came through.

"Oh good, you're here," she breathes. "Marc, Nathaniel, Chat Noir, and I need your help. Marc, you will take the mouse Miraculous. Nathaniel, you'll have the snake. You will use your powers to assist Chat Noir and me and return them once the Akuma is defeated."

"L-ladybug?" Nathaniel stutters. "You really want us to help you? I think I'm dreaming."

"Your Kwamis will explain everything," she says handing them each a box.

Ten minutes later, they were both transformed and over the automatic shock of being a superhero. "Follow me," Ladybug says. "I'll explain my plan on the way.

The boys listened intently as they followed their hero through the Paris streets. the kept looking at each other in disbelief.

They arrived at the battlefield to see Chat Noir desperately trying to fend off the villains.

"Need some help?" The bluenette shouts, swinging her yoyo at Lila, momentarily surprising her.

"Thank goodness you're back, Bugaboo," Chat Noir breathes. "And I see you've brought help."

"You know what to do," Ladybug tells the boys. They nod. Nathaniel activates his Second Chance. Marc activates his Multitude, leaving a clone with each of the other heroes while the rest spread out to search the perimeter for Hawkmoth.

"You think those two Nerds are enough to save you?" Lila taunts. "What are they going to do? Write their way to victory?"

"Actually, I'm an illustrator," Nathaniel smirks. "If you want a beautifully written story of your defeat, you'll have to talk to my boyfriend."

Lila growled before lashing out at him with her whip. Having learned plenty of things from the last thirty-five times he'd fought her Nathaniel was able to avoid her easily enough.

Meanwhile, Ladybug and Chat Noir were busy keeping Chloe occupied. They'd established that the Akuma had been split between her and Lila's friendship bracelets, if they could bread one of them, hopefully, both villains would be defeated.

"You took everything from me!" Chloe shouts, firing another arrow from her infinity quiver. "When we give Hawkmoth your Miraculous, he's going to make you sorry!" She lunged at Chat Noir, who hid his ring hand behind his back and sidestepped her easily. He'd fought Chloe's akumatized form so many times that he knew exactly how to mess with her. He could have broken her bracelet multiple times now if he'd wanted to, but Hawkmoth hadn't arrived yet.

Suddenly, the clone that had been hiding in his pocket tried to get his attention. "Hawkmoth is nearby," the Minimarc informs him.

"M'lady," he shouts. "It's the time!"

The blunette nods, confusing the other girls. Their moment of confusion gave Nathaniel enough time to swipe the bracelets from Chloe's wrist and break it on the ground.

Hawkmoth and Mayura watched from the top of a nearby building as their latest plan failed.

"NO!" Hawkmoth shouts. "Stupid girls! They've let me down for the last time! I'm going down there to finish this myself."

They were both painfully oblivious to the Minimarcs reforming behind them. "You need to be careful," Mayura protests. "We'll be outnumbered."

"I don't care," he growls. "I'm ending this now."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Marc says, startling them both. Using their shock to his advantage, he tosses his jump rope around them, tying them up.

"Ladybug! I got them!" He shouts.

The heroes leave Chloe and Lila to the Paramedics. They work to bring the struggling villains down to the street, where a crowd of reporters and police officers waited anxiously. Officer Raincomprix handcuffs both of the villains while the heroes prepare for what happens next.

"Your days of terrorizing Parisians are over, hawkmoth," Ladybug announces. "Now, let's see who you really are."

The duo approached their foes nervously. This was really it. They had stopped Hawkmoth and Mayura.

The crowd waited expectantly, everyone seemed to be holding their breath. Even the birds were silent.

"On the count of three," Ladybug tells her partner. She takes a deep breath. "One... Two... Three."

They reach for the Miraculous and the Villains' disguises slowly fade away. They stumble back in surprise.

"Nathalie?" Chat noir whispers. "Father?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone, it’s been a hard week in everyone. I know I’ve been pretty quiet about current events so far, but I feel like this is important, so here goes:
> 
> I’d like to begin with a quote from Uncle Iroh: “Sometimes life is like this dark tunnel, you can’t always see the light at the end of the tunnel, but if you just keep moving you will end up in a better place.”  
> I feel like this is very important to remember right now. I’ve reminded myself multiple times just this week, that in order to make things better, you first have to believe that they can be better. 
> 
> Second: I’d like to tell you all something that someone told me a while back. That change is slow, but you have to keep fighting, that’s the only way things will get better.
> 
> Black lives Matter.  
> LGBTQ+ lives Matter.
> 
> So I leave you with a different message this week: everyone stay safe, stay healthy, and keep fighting the good fight. You aren’t alone.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In loving memory of the pink gel pen I used to write the first 11 chapters of this fic. You served the Miraculous Ladybug fandom well.

The crowd buzzed nervously as everyone caught a glimpse of the villains. Reporters were relaying the information to their watchers at home, but Adrien couldn't hear them over the sound of his own thoughts.

"Are you okay?" Ladybug asks, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

He shakes his head. "I need a minute."

"We need to recharge, but we'll be back to answer any questions you may have," she tells the crowd of reporters approaching them,

Once they were safely perched atop Marinette's balcony, they detransformed. Marinette instructed Plagg and Tikki to get the new kwamis settled. The poor things looked so scared, she would need to speak with them later.

Adrien allowed himself to be cradled in his girlfriend's arms. His body shook with silent sobs. He knew he'd have to pull himself together and face the press soon, so he tried to let out all of his anger now. 

"Do you want to talk about it?" Marinette asks after his tears had slowed.

"It makes so much sense now," he frowns. "how he was always busy in some way or another. I bet he was hiding out in his secret layer somewhere. Not to mention the fact that Hawkmoth looked so similar to him. How could I have been so stupid?"

"You're not stupid," she assures him. "You never were. Blind, maybe, but not stupid."

"Thanks, Marinette," he smiles weakly, wiping his eyes.

"It's my pleasure," she smiles. "Now, we should probably go face the press and get this all over with. Are you up for that?"

"I'll manage," he assures her before calling for Plagg to transform him.

They returned to the scene of the battle. The police had already taken Gabriel and Nathalie to the station for processing, but the crowd of reporters and onlookers had only grown since they'd left.

Up first were the big-name news networks. Most of the questions were regarding how Hawkmoth and Mayura would be treated, and whether or not they were still a threat. Ladybug answered their questions gracefully, Chat let her, he was still processing the events for himself.

After that was the bloggers and fans. Alya was at the front of the line, and she'd managed to drag Nino along with her. She asked the standard questions: How does it feel now that your greatest enemy is defeated? Will you still be patrolling every night? What do you think will happen to Gabriel and his assistant? It was their last question that caught Chat off guard.

"Do you know what will happen to Adrien?" Alya asks. "We haven't been able to contact him since the news broke. Will he be okay?"

"He's rattled, but he's safe," the blonde responds. "We checked on him before coming back here. I'm sure the police will want to question him about what he knows, but he will be fine."

"Thanks, dudes," Nino smiles. "We just wanted to make sure our friend was okay."

Adrien smiles, truly smiles, for the first time in hours. "He's lucky to have friends like you," he replies.

"We should probably start wrapping this up," Ladybug says after a few more questions. "They're probably already looking for you. You don't want to make them suspicious."

"That's probably best," he agrees.

"That's all for today, everyone," Ladybug announces to the crowd. "We'll try to schedule a Q&A session for any other questions you may have."

Once they were out of the crowd's view, they detransformed.

"So, where should we go?" Marinette asks.

"We should probably let your parents know that we're okay," he reasons. "And maybe get something to eat, crying makes me hungry."

"Sounds like a plan," she says taking his hand and leading him towards the bakery.

"I understand why you guys didn't tell me," Adrien tells the Kwamis.

"I'm really sorry, Adrien," Plagg says. "I thought keeping it from you would keep you from getting hurt. A lot of good that did."

"It's okay," Adrien tells him. "I'm fine, or, I will be."

They arrived at the Dupan-Chang apartment and were greeted by a crushing bear hug from Tom. "We were so worried," he says after setting them down. "Adrien, we're so sorry to hear about your dad."

"Thanks," he smiles weakly. "It's- it's a lot to take in."

"How about you sit down," Sabine tells him "I'll get you some snacks. This is too much to go through on an empty stomach."

After consuming a healthy supply of croissants, Adrien stands. "I should probably head over to the police station. I'd like to see if I can speak to my father."

"I can come with you, if you'd like," Marinette offers.

"I think this is something I need to do alone," Adrien tells her. "Could you let Nino and Alya know I'm okay? I've gotten a ton of messages from them, but I don't know what to say."

"Consider it done," Marinette tells him.

"Let us know if you need anything," Sabine smiles, "Our door is always open."

"I can't thank you enough," Adrien tells them. "You guys have made this all so much easier," he embraces them each one more time, allowing Marinette to plant a kiss on his cheek before he heads outside, preparing himself to face his father.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, only one more chapter left... that's... wow. Anyway, I hope you all liked it. Comments and kudos are always appreciated. Everyone stay safe and healthy!


	13. Chapter 13

Adrien walked into the police station with his head held high. The woman at the reception desk recognized him immediately.

Hello, Mr. Agrests," she says politely. "Officer Raincomprix has been meaning to talk with you about... today's events. Will you follow me?"

He nods, following her in silence through the first hallway, stopping at the very last door on the right.

"Officer Raincomprix," the woman knocks on the door softly. "You have someone here to speak with you regarding Gabriel Agreste."

"Send them in," came a deep voice from the other side of the door.

Adrien walks in. The office was about average in size, with a large L-shaped desk against one wall. A row of filing cabinets lined the wall behind him. It could've been mistaken for anyone's office if not for the photos of Officer Raincomprix and his daughter scattered around the room.

"Adrien," the man says as the blonde walked in. "My condolences about your father. Will you be needing a place to stay for a while? We have programs in place to help you get settled in and start to cope with all of this."

Adrien doubted they could tell him how to feel about the fact that he'd been the one to defeat his father, but he didn't mention it, deciding to go along with the Officer's concerns. "I'm fine for now," he insists. "I came to see if I could speak to my father."

"I'm afraid your father is still being processed. He will need to be thoroughly questioned before he is allowed to speak with anyone."

"I understand," Adrien looked down. A small part of him was glad that he didn't have to see his father just yet. "Will you let me know when I can see him?"

"Leave your number with Miss Holt and we will contact you when we are able to share more information. I'm sorry we couldn't do more."

"It's okay, I understand," Adrien says before making his way back to the Dupan-Chang bakery.

\-----

The crowd in the shop had grown since he'd left. Nino and Alya embraced him tightly as he walked through the doors. Chloe stood farther back, not sure what to do. 

"So, how did it go?" Marinette asks once he's assured them all once again that he was okay.

"I can't see him yet. I'm not sure if I really wanted to, to be honest. I don't really know what I was expecting."

"I'm- I'm so sorry Adrien," Chloe says, breaking her silence. "I should've never let Hawkmoth manipulate me like that. If I knew who he was, I would've told you."

"He tricked all of us," Adrien tells her. "Some more than others. I know it's not your fault."

Chloe left soon after that. She knew Adrien didn't blame her for what she'd done, but it was hard for her to know how she'd hurt him.

"I'm getting pretty tired," Adrien yawns. "I- should probably get some sleep."

"If you need a place to stay for the night, I can set up the Guest bedroom for you," Tom offers.

"Yeah, I really don't feel like spending the night alone in the mansion," he says. "You have all been so kind to me. I don't know how I can thank you."

"Knowing that you're okay is enough thanks for us," Sabine tells him. "I'll go get everything set up for you."

"We should probably head home," Alya says, standing up. "We're glad you're okay, Adrien."

"See ya' tomorrow, dude," Nino says, embracing his friend one last time before following Alya outside.

"How are you feeling?" Marinette asks, taking a seat next to her boyfriend.

"Honestly, I don't know," he admits. "It's all still settling in. But you guys have really helped me a lot."

"My pleasure," she says, kissing him softly. "Oh, I almost forgot," she stands up and rushes to her room, returning a few minutes later with a gift bag in hand.

"I was going to wait until your birthday, but I figured you'd need something comfortable to sleep in," she explains.

He reaches into the bag and pulls out a red onesie. It had ladybug spots all over it, with the word "Bugaboo" embroidered over the heart with pink thread.

"I love it," he smiles.

"I was planning on making one for myself, but I just finished yours, so I haven't been able to start on it yet."

"I can't wait to see it," he meets her eyes. "Thank you, Marinette. I love you."

"I love you, too," she says, pulling him in for another kiss.

Adrien dressed into his new pajamas quickly and crawled into bed. Plagg was already dozing off on one of the pillows. He pulled up the covers and looked around the room. For the first time today, he didn't care where his father was. He was in a place where people loved him for who he was. For once, he finally felt at home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow... so that was our last chapter. Thank you to all of you who've stuck with me through to the end! I do have a few more ideas for this plot in the future, so if any of you would like to see that, let me know in the comments, and make sure to subscribe to my account so you'll be notified when I write it.  
> Thanks again to all of you who've kept with this until the end! As always, your comments and kudos are greatly appreciated. Everyone stay safe and healthy!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you guys for reading! I will try to update every Wednesday. Make sure to leave comments and Kudos if you enjoyed! And everyone stay safe and healthy!


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